Self Directed Change Program and Self Confidence

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Depression Workbook
All that we are is the result of what we have
thought. The mind is everything. What we think,
we become. Buddha

• Participant Guide

2015. Shannon Tran, PhD
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Leaves on a Stream

• Sit in a comfortable position and either close
  your eyes or rest them gently on a fixed spot in
  the room.
• Imagine you are sitting on a tiny wooden bridge
  over a gently flowing stream. Your legs are
  hanging over the side of the bridge until your
  toes almost touch the water. The stream is
  flowing away underneath you.
• Notice the vegetation around you. Are there
  trees, flowers, or grass along the bank of the
  stream? Notice the sounds of the water as it
  flows beneath you. What do you hear?

3

• As you watch the water, notice that there are
  leaves floating along the surface of the stream,
  under the bridge and away from you. Notice the
  shape, color, and size of the leaves as they pass
  by.
• For the next few minutes, take each thought that
  enters your mind and place it on a leaf, and
  simply watch as it floats by. Do this with every
  thought, whether the thought is pleasurable,
  painful or neutral. Simply continue to watch the
  thoughts as they float away down the stream.

4

• If your mind says, Im busy or Im not doing
  this right, just place those thoughts on the
  leaves too and let them pass. Allow them to float
  away down the stream. There is no need to become
  attached to the thought. Simply let it go. If a
  difficult or painful feeling arises, acknowledge
  the feeling with a thought. Say to yourself I
  notice myself having a feeling of
  sadness/frustration/anxiety. Now place the
  thought on a leaf and allow it to float away.

5

• From time to time your thoughts may drift away
  and distract you from being fully present in this
  exercise. This is normal. As soon as you realize
  that you have become sidetracked, gently and
  compassionately bring your attention back to the
  exercise and start again with placing your
  thoughts on the leaves and watching them pass.
• Practice this for 5 to 10 minutes. This exercise
  develops your self-awareness into your thinking
  patterns at any given moment.
• Developed by Dr. Briana Carr Shannon Tran, 2014
  adapted from ACT MADE Simple

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Please complete the following questions about
your current needs for improved mood and
emotional wellness.

• Where are you feeling depressed or stuck in your
  life?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________
• What thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors contributes
  to this?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________
• What have you tried in the past to address this
  problem?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________

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• How much time do you spend each day thinking of
  your depression?
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________
• How much time each day do you spend on creating
  positive moments?
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________
• What do like least about yourself?
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________
• What do you like most about yourself?
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________

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• When do you feel most productive in your life?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________
• What support do you need to overcome depression?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________
• How will you know when you are feeling better
  about yourself or your life?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________

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Healthy vs Unhealthy Belief Patterns

• Healthy belief patterns encourage, inspire,
  support, and empower you.
• Unhealthy belief patterns discourage, limit, or
  disempower you.
• Beliefs are what generate our thoughts, feelings,
  behaviors, actions and outcomes (experience of
  reality).
• We all have healthy and unhealthy beliefs in all
  areas of our life. The trick is to identify those
  that do not support you and replace them with
  those that do so that you can take inspired,
  proactive, and healthy actions.

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Current Unhealthy Beliefs About Your Life

• What is your desired experience? (i.e. I want to
  be happy )
• What is your current behavior around this
  subject? (i.e. isolate, negative self-talk)
• What are your feelings about this subject? (i.e.
  sad, depressed)
• What thoughts are associated with those feelings?
  (i.e. Im a loser.)
• What possible underlying belief would support
  this pattern? (i.e. I dont deserve to be happy)

2014. Sandra Thébaud, PhD and Shannon Tran, PhD
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Examples of Empowering Beliefs

• I accept myself as I am
• I am worthy of love
• I am valued and appreciated
• I respect myself and others
• I believe my opinion matters, and I feel heard
  when I voice a concern
• I believe I am fairly compensated for my efforts
• I am willingness to change when a more effective
  solution is offered to me
• I know what joy feels like

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• Mind Wellness Worksheet
• This is an opportunity for you to identify and
  practice some of your unique strengths. A
  strength is something that you do naturally well.
  Research shows that if you practice your
  strengths on a regular basis, you will not only
  increase your happiness level, but also build a
  more satisfying life.
• Identify some of your strengths. If you cannot
  identify any on your own, ask a co-worker, friend
  or family member to help you or go to
  wwwauthentichappiness.com which offers a free
  strength finding test.
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ____
• Which one of your core strengths did you use
  today?
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ____
• I encourage you to take your two top strengths
  and practice them on a daily basis for the next 2
  weeks. If any problem or challenge arises, use
  one of your strengths to either cope or solve it.
  For example, if patience is one of your
  strengths, then then think of how patience may
  help you either cope or solve the problem.

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• HAPI Worksheet
• HAPI (Health and Positive Input) consists of 12
  activities that have been scientifically proven
  by Sonja Lyubomirsky, a leading expert in the
  field of happiness, to raise happiness levels.
• Express Gratitude
• Cultivate Optimism
• Practice Acts of Kindness
• Nurture Social Relationships
• Develop Strategies for Coping
• Learn to Forgive
• Increase Flow Experiences
• Savor Positive Events
• Commit to Your Goals
• Practice Spirituality
• Take Care of Your Body
• Practice at least one or more of these activities
  on a daily basis to boost mental health levels
  and promote your well-being. Doing so decreases
  your vulnerability to depression.

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Notes
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Notes
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Track Your Progress

• Please take some time to periodically track your
  progress. This gives you the opportunity to check
  in with yourself, and to make any necessary
  adjustments. Remember to celebrate your progress,
  however small, and to show kindness where you may
  still need improvement.
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________